Surprise
by jayer
Summary: An unexpected visit forces Adam to reveal a secret, with surprising results
1. Chapter 1

Adam gently pulled the door closed. He turned the tv on, keeping the volume low, to listen to the news while he cleaned up the kitchen.

He was just finishing the last of the pans when a knock on the door made him jump. He wasn't expecting anyone. Adam quickly wiped his hands off with a towel and went to answer the door.

"Mom, Dad." Adam was surprised to find his parents at the door. He was certain they said they were coming for a visit next month, on their way to their annual trip to Hawaii.

"Hello, sweetheart." His mother gave him a kiss on the cheek and enveloped him in a hug.

"Hi, Mom." Adam kissed her cheek. "Could you let me breathe please?" It was an old joke, from years of vise like grips. He was still amazed at how strong his mother was, despite her tiny size. He often wondered what would happen if she was angry, but decided he wasn't going to try to find out.

"Son."

"Dad." Adam hugged his father. "Did you tell me you were coming and I forgot?" Adam picked up his mother's bag and carried it inside.

"No. We wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm very surprised."

"You don't sound happy to see us."

"No, I am. It's just this isn't exactly the perfect time." Adam stuttered a little. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to tell his parents.

"The perfect time for what?" There was that tone. Adam often wondered why his father hadn't become a lawyer or even a cop. He had the voice. The 'you will give me a answer right now' voice. Scourge of Adam's childhood. It was like a magic spell that made him confess every petty wrong doing with great truthfulness.

"it's just, I'm not alone. There's someone else here."

"Well, I can't wait to meet her." His mother smiled expectedly.

"It's not a her."

"Well then him. We are totally okay with it, as long as you're happy."

Adam sighed. "Mom, I'm not gay. Okay. He's not my boyfriend."

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

"Jordi, you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just thirsty." Jordi grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

"Mom, Dad. This is Jordi. He's, well, I guess you could say he's my son."

"Your what?"

Jordi smirked, "Doc, I think you've got some splaining to do."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey." Adam stuck his head in the room. "May I?"

Jordi was curled up in the middle of the bed, the covers tucked up around him.

"What are you reading?"

"To Kill a Mockingbird. It's for school."

"Always liked that one. Liked the movie too."

"So that went, well?" Jordi smirked.

"Yeah, it was awesome." Adam laughed. "awesomely uncomfortable."

"They seemed kind of mad."

"Yeah. But not at you. They're mad at me because I didn't tell them. Honesty is a big deal with my parents. I used to get into worse trouble for lying than whatever I'd been up to."

"Somehow I can't see you doing anything that awful."

"I might look like a mature and upstanding adult but when I was your age I got into my fair share of mischief.

"Seriously, Jordi. I know some things were said that weren't all that nice. And I know you heard all of it. I'm not going to pretend that I believe you really came back in here."

"Your father doesn't like me."

"My father doesn't know you. He can't like or dislike you until he does."

"Sure didn't sound that way."

Adam shook his head. "Jordi, my father's an investment banker. Every thing in his life is like the next investment and every investment has to be weighed carefully, the pros and the cons. This is not the first time I've been on the other side of the argument. And tonight was nothing like when I told him I didn't want to go to Yale and business like he did, I wanted to go to Harvard and study medicine."

"How'd you convince him?"

"I didn't really. I just told him I was doing it and he didn't have to support it. I was lucky enough that I was a smart kid and I had been offered several scholarships so I wasn't real worried about the money. Which was really the only thing he could try to use against me. I mean med school is not cheap."

"What did your mother say?"

"My mother has always been very good about staying out of our discussions, as you might have noticed. Which isn't to say that she's weak or anything. She's not. She's a powerhouse. My mother might be the one person in my life that could go toe to toe with Jackson and have a real shot at winning. My mother just picks her battles more carefully, makes her moves more quietly. That's why she said the thing about us not saying something either of us would regret. Thinking before you speak is her biggest tool. When my med school aspirations came up, my mothers only comment was to ask my father to weigh the pros and cons of having me hate him for not supporting me. Was he ready to risk a major loss for selling out on an investment."

"Sneaky."

"That's my mother." Adam laughed. "Seriously don't worry about it. This isn't about you. It's about me. It's about not telling them what I was up to before now. I had plenty of chances, I talk to them every week."

"Why didn't you?"

Adam shrugged. "It didn't feel like something that should be told over the phone. I wanted to sit down with them, tell them, let them meet you and see how cool you are. Not 'hey mom, hey dad, how's the weather in Boston, I've decided to adopt a patient'. Just didn't feel like that was the way to go."

"Probably not."

"But I will tell you this. I know there's been a few missteps"

"Like sleeping with my mom."

"You know about that?"

"Everyone knows about that."

"In my defense, I didn't know she was your mother at the time."

"It's cool."

"Thanks. And as I was about to say before I was so snarkily interrupted, there have been a few missteps and things that didn't turn out the way either of us hoped, but I have no regrets. I know most folks would agree with my father that getting emotionally attached to a patient is a very bad idea. It's really hard not to when you work peds. You have to condition yourself not to get attached, not to bring your work home or it can eat you alive. Making your work part of your home, that's just walk.

"But missteps or not, I'm glad I said yes. I don't think we're doing so bad. I think we're doing okay just you and me."

"And Leo, Dash, Emma"

"Kara, Charlie"

"Nurse Jackson."

"Can't forget Jackson."


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Mom." Adam gave his mother a kiss. "Jordi."

"Hey."

Adam poured himself a cup of coffee. "I see you've had breakfast."

"Pancakes."

"Do I get some pancakes?"

"Of course." Adam's mother pulled a bowl out of the refrigerator. "Jordi, if you're finished go brush your teeth and get your jacket."

Jordi downed the last of his juice and put his dishes in the sink.

"You two going somewhere?"

"Shopping."

"Anything in particular?"

"Jordi needs some clothes."

"Mom, Jordi has clothes."

"Clothes that are falling off of him and sneakers that are falling apart. He looks like a cast member of a Dicken's adaptation."

"He's in the chemo, losing weight is part of the game. He'll gain it back."

"Chemo that isn't likely to be over anytime soon and even if it is, he won't gain the weight back overnight so that's no excuse for him not having some clothes him now. And he needs a haircut."

"Jordi likes his hair long."

"And it suits him, but the split ends up to his ears are no good. He needs a trim."

"I'm not going to win this argument am I?"

"I love you, Adam. You are the most amazing and beautiful son any mother could ask for. I'm so proud of you and you are my greatest accomplishment. There is only one thing I would change if I could."

"Which is?"

"You're 36 years old and you're still single. You don't even have a girlfriend and from what I gather your casual relationships have ended rather disastrously."

"You heard that?" Adam blushed a little.

"I wish I could say I was only thinking about your happiness. What mother doesn't want to see her children find someone of their own. But the truth is, I'm just really tired of the other women at my luncheons going on and on about 'my granddaughter' and 'my grandson'. And then there's my sworn duty as a grandmother to spoil your children rotten and drive you crazy.

"Jordi may not be biologically connected to me but he could be my one and only opportunity to exercise my grandparental rights."

"So, no, I'm not going to win this argument."

"Not a chance."


	4. Chapter 4

"You look very handsome." Mrs McAndrew looked up from her magazine.

"Thank you, ma'am." Jordi pulled his jacket back on.

"Jordi, how many times do I have to tell you, don't ma'am me. I'm not your schoolteacher."

"Yes, ma-. Elizabeth."

"See it's not that hard."

"Sorry, it's just weird. Calling a grownup by her first name."

"What do you call my son?"

"Dr McAndrew."

Elizabeth laughed. "Of course you do, you're a good polite young man." Elizabeth wrapped her arm in Jordi's and grinned. "Jordi, you can call me whatever you like."

"Can I call you Abuela?

"Abuela?"

"It means grandmother."

"Jordi, you really should stop listening around corner."

"Yes ma- Abuela."

"I do like the way that sounds." Elizabeth pointed towards a shop. "That looks like it might suit you."

They wandered through the tables. Jordi hesitated, not wanting to seem greedy. But Elizabeth had no problem with picking up anything that caught her eye. Or sending Jordi off to try on everything.

"Nothing fit?" Elizabeth looked up when Jordi came back empty handed.

"Some of it. The jeans and the tee shirts. There's at the counter."

"You really should have one nice shirt."

"The blue one was okay, but it was too big."

"We'll get a smaller size then." Elizabeth smiled. "Now there's just pajamas and underwear."

"I'm good." Jordi blushed.

"Adam didn't like talking about his underwear either. From the time he was ten, he'd make me go stand on the other side of the room while he picked out what he wanted and made the sales person put it in the bag before I could see it.

"Don't forget socks."

"Okay."

"Give a shout when you need my card. I'm just going to be over there pretending to be enthralled by those sunglasses."


	5. Chapter 5

"I didn't have a lot of friends."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"I had school friends but I didn't live near any of them so we didn't hang out and do things. I hung out with my cousin sometimes. But he has a girlfriend so he wasn't around a lot."

"mmmm." Elizabeth smiled softly. "So how do boys in Mexico get into trouble?"

"Probably the same way they do here. Drink beer, when you can get it, chase girls. I taught myself to play guitar."

"I do love the arts, schools don't teach them nearly enough. Do you do anything else? Paint? Do school plays?"

"I can draw a little. I'm not every good. We don't have plays but we had a talent show. I played a song I wrote."

"Did you win?"

"It wasn't that kind of a show. But I got a standing ovation."

"Wonderful. Will you play it for me?"

"Sure."

Elizabeth pushed her plate away. "I'm stuffed."

"Me too."

"You should be, you practically licked the plate clean."

"It was really good. I guess I was hungry."

"Dessert?"

"I don't have any room." Jordi laughed.

Elizabeth waved at the waiter. Moments later they were walking along the pier, people watching.

"I suppose I should get you back to the hospital soon." Elizabeth sighed. "And we are having such fun aren't we?"

"Yes ma'am." Jordi caught the smirk. "Abuela."

"But we haven't gotten you anything fun. Why don't we go to that bookstore and get you somethings to read?"

"Okay"

They crossed the street and started down the promenade when Elizabeth stopped suddenly.

"I have an even better idea." Elizabeth led Jordi toward a nearby store.

"No Abuela, you can't. It's too much." Jordi protested when he saw where she was headed.

"Now Jordi, what part of spoiling rotten don't you understand? Besides I can afford it. And then some."

"If I say no, you're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Good. My friend Claire from the museum auxiliary got an iPad from her grandchildren for her birthday and she is always raving about how she can video phone call with her grandchildren. And she plays scrabble. All sorts of things. I've been waiting to get one and I think it would be the perfect treat for us both."

"Good afternoon." A young man walked up. "My name is Steven. What questions can I answer for you?"

"Well Steven, my grandson is spending some time in the hospital and it's very boring. Would one of these iPads be good or would a laptop be better."

Steven smiled at Jordi, who was blushing a little from the overshare.

"Well either one is good, but if you spend a lot of time in bed, the tablet is way easier to use. But get a case so you don't break it if you fall asleep and it falls on the floor."

"Very smart, Steven." Elizabeth grinned. "And you can make video phone calls with it?"

"Yes."

"Uh, do you have a bathroom?" Jordi caught Elizabeth's glance. "Too much water."

"Door on the left." Steven pointed towards the back of the room.

Jordi could hear the young man explaining how to make a call to Elizabeth. For the second time, he wondered if sales people get a commission. If so, he wasn't the only one being spoiled today. Even with Elizabeth's apparently large bank account, he felt a little guilty about letting her spend so much. And at the same time, he had to admit he likely having the new things, having someone that wanted to spoil him. Compared to Leo, Kara and the rest of them, he'd basically grown up a pauper.

Jordi splashed some water on his face before returning to the busy sales floor. He found Elizabeth and the sales guy sitting at a table with a small pile of packages in front of them.

"There you are." Elizabeth beamed. Clearly she was having a blast. "Steven's been showing me all the wonderful things you can do. There are apps to read books, watch movies, draw, even write music. And lots of games. I bet Claire doesn't know about half the things you can do."

"So, one gold." Steven punched something into what looked like an iPhone in a space age case. "And what color did you want, Jordi right?"

"Black. I guess."

Jordi picked through the pile looking to see what treasures Elizabeth had uncovered. There was a microphone and a guitar adapter, a stylus for drawing, a slightly ugly but sturdy looking case, a video game controller, a weird robot ball, a pair of headphones and a small speaker. He didn't bother suggesting that he didn't need any of it, he knew he'd lose the fight. And it was all kind of cool looking.

It was about an hour later when they left, the sales guy having helped them set the two iPads up as well as loading a sizable credit on Jordi's account for buying games and such, as well as an account on Netflix and Hulu for watching TV and movies. As Elizabeth pulled the car into the hospital valet, Jordi found himself wishing he had another day away. But he knew it wasn't possible.

"Let's go stash your goodies before my old fuddy duddy of a son sees them and tries to get all serious." Elizabeth winked.

Yeah, he really wished they had more time.

"Sure Abuela. And I can play you my song."

"ohh I can't wait."


	6. Chapter 6

"Mr McAndrew, this is a surprise." Jackson nodded at the empty seat, the only empty one in the surprisingly busy canteen. "May I?"

Richard nodded. "Johnson, isn't it?"

"Jackson."

"My apology."

"It's not like we talk every day." Jackson sipped at her coffee. She'd hardly ever talked to the older man. She knew she could be gruff, sometimes seeming down right mean. But the elder McAndrew was down right off putting and cold even to her. Every time she did speak to him, even just see him, it seemed like he was calculating something. Like everything came down to cost and profit. She knew he was a banker but he was extreme. Like Scrooge before the whole ghost thing. His wife, on the other hand, was so bubbly it was annoying. Where he was firm handshakes and polite conversations, she was hugs, cheek kisses and over interest. Two extremes that drove Jackson nuts. But she tried to contain her disgust for the sake of Dr McAndrew, who she respected and, when he wasn't acting like a 36 year old teenager with his disaster of a love life, even liked. More or less.

Jackson was pulled out of her thoughts by the rustle of the older man's newspaper.

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"This boy, Jordi. What do you think of the whole thing?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'the whole thing'?"

"This whole foster care thing. Aren't you supposed to stay detached, not get emotional."

"That's the general rule but sometimes breaking the rules is called for."

"And this kid is one of those times? You really believe that."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Well for one, Jordi is a fighter. It's hard not to back a kid who pulled the stunt he did. It was thought out, planned, and gutsy. Jordi likes the word balls. It's lewd but appropriate. Coming here took balls. It was a huge risk. He banked on your son's willingness to not just slash and go during surgeries being a sign that he's got balls also. And he banked on all of us being there for him, even if he wasn't thinking about that.

"Haven't you ever had an investment where the numbers didn't really add up but your gut kept saying 'go for it'. That's what Jordi did and that's what your son did by saying yes even though it was way out of the standard protocol. It just felt like the right thing to do."

"Going with your gut can be a disastrous move."

"True. But here's the thing. It's almost impossible not to get attached when you are working with kids. They need that attachment as much as they need the surgeries and the meds. It gives them a reason to live and that is vital. Especially with something like cancer. Because we aren't made to be alone. If we were, God wouldn't have made two genders.

"And I'll tell you something you might not want to hear. I know if the doc finds out I told you he'll pitch a fit. But your son is a relationship train wreck. I don't know if it's because he's basically a workaholic or if he has had so many disasters he's using work to avoid trying again. He might not like to admit it but he needs a shoulder to cry on at time, even if just figuratively, as much as these kids do. But he's turning himself into this doctor monk. Taking care of Jordi, even when its just giving Jordi a place to stay so he doesn't get shipped to a group home, is the best shot at turning that tide. And it might just make him a better doctor.

"And besides, I've got my eye on them. I won't let things go Titanic. I've got too much invested in both of them. And I make sure I always get a return on my investments"

Jackson looked at her watch. "Excuse me but I have to get back to work. Nice seeing you again, Mr McAndrew."


	7. Chapter 7

Kenji leaned in the doorway, "You wanted to know when Jordi was back."

"Thanks. How's he look?"

"A little pink, a little tired. Smiling."

"And my mother?"

"Like the cat that ate the canary."

Adam laughed. "Sounds about right."

"What's with the x-rays?"

"Ten year old skateboarder with a hair line fracture to her elbow." Adam pulled the films off the light box.

"Ouch."

"Yep. I'll be up there in a few minutes."

"No worries."

Adam took the x-rays down to the exam room where he was amused to find that his patient was disappointed her arm wasn't really broke. He'd never met a kid that actually wanted a cast. He quickly got the girl outfitted with a sling and on her way. He found Jordi alone in The Swamp, putting clothes away in the dresser.

"Okay, I admit it. You do look better without your clothes hanging off."

"I like not feeling like my pants are going to fall off." Jordi grinned.

"I didn't know it was that bad, you should have said something."

Jordi shrugged.

"Well put your other stuff in the bags and we can keep it at the house until you need them again." Adam picked up the blanket Jordi had set on the end of his bed. "This is colorful."

"Yeah, we saw it on a cart on The Pier and I said it was like the one I had at my grandmother's"

"And my mother insisted on buying it for you."

"Pretty much."

"Well this room could use some color. If you went to the Pier I'm guessing you went to The Albright."

"Yeah."

"I love their Paella."

"That's what I had. It was really good."

"Sounds like you had fun."

"Yeah. I like your mother, she's cool."

"Yes. she is. So what else did she get you?"

Jordi gave him a confused look.

"I know my mother and how she gets when she has a cause. I don't believe she only got you some clothes and a blanket."

"She got me an iPad." Jordi sounded guilty.

"Is that all? I figured a computer, maybe an X Box and a tv, a Fender. All of the above. I mean my mother doesn't do small."

"Well she got me a case and some headphones, some other stuff. And some money to buy some games."

"Stay away from Candy Crush. That game is evil."


	8. Chapter 8

"There you are."

"Hello, Mom." Adam gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Did you have a nice time?"

"I did. So many comments about my handsome date." Elizabeth grinned at Jordi.

"uh huh." Adam shook his head.

"Well I hate to rush off but I found your father and we really have to get to the airport."

Elizabeth hugged Jordi. "Take good care of Adam for me."

"Sure thing."

"I'll call you tonight."

"I might be asleep."

"Well if you are, we can try again tomorrow."

"I'll be there in a minute," Richard nodded to Adam to follow him out into the hall.

"Something wrong?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I think you're doing something real good here."

"You do?"

"I wasn't sure at first. Seemed like a high risk without a decent pay out. But then I got to talking to some folks."

"Some folks?"

"Well mostly that nurse, the lady one."

"Jackson?"

"That's the one. She's got a real way of putting things. Gave me some perspective."

"Yeah, she's real good with that."

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that if you need any help you can call us. Even if you just need to talk. And I'm proud of you. That boy is real lucky to have you. Any kid would be."

"Thanks Dad."

"You get on back to work while I get your mother out of here before she finds another one."

~~fin~~


End file.
